-Sd'EA-
 SOCIETY OF APPLIED ETHNOPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITIVE STUDIES

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Sd'EA is an international, non-profit scientific society based in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). It was founded in 1999 on the initiative of Dr Josep Mª Fericgla and some of his collaborators.
The main aim of this Society is orientated towards the basic and applied investigation of modified states of consciousness, entheogenic substances and cathartic techniques liable to be used in many different frameworks in our culture, such as that of human beings' well-being, decision making, creativity, freedom, health and also human development and evolution.
Current studies on the nature of consciousness and mind are added to recent discoveries about psychoactive substances, modified states of consciousness and traditional shamanisms… All this opens a new field in which psychotherapy, ethnopharmacology , neurosciences and anthropology are implied. Hence, the terms Ethnopsychology and Cognition include the study of entheogens and cathartic techniques both in their anthropological and psychological dimension.

CREATION OF THE Sd'EA

The Sd'EA statutes were officially approved on 30th September, 1999, registered under the number 22.498. at the Justice Department of the Generalitat (Catalonia's Government)
This society was born as heir to the former Institut de Prospectiva Antropològica (Anthropological Prospective Institute) created back in 1986. Nowadays, its members include a group of more than a hundred scientifics, professionals and friends that support its activities and nourish them with their efforts. Josep M Fericgla, founder and director of the society is a doctor in anthropology and an expert in analytical psychology, ethnomusicology and modified states of consciousness. He has also written many books and papers and does research work. He has been a professor at Barcelona University for years and is often invited to lecture at many Spanish and American universities where he imparts postgraduate courses yearly.
He also holds the international Seminar on Musics and the Unconscious, the Seminar on Modified States of Consciousness, Personal Development and Psychotherapy, the workshops on Experiencing the Integration of One's Own Death and also several Estructuring Experiences that are currently being put into action by the Sd'EA.

FIELDS OF RESEARCH AND STUDY

All the contributions made by the Sd'EA members are systematically and exclusively destinated to research within consciousness and dialogical mental processes through an ethnopsychological, transcultural and applied optic and also to promote divulgative activities associated to it.
Research on the boundaries between mind and culture is done within the following areas of study:

• Modified states of consciousness and their functions
• Use of psychoactive plants and techniques in several cultures
• Possible application of these techniques to our societies
• Cognitive and psychological aspects of shamanism
• Studies on emotional structures through an ethnopsychological optic
• Music and its function in relation with the mind and the states of consciousness
• Analysis of dreams in different cultures.
• Ritualistic and identity processes.
• Development of new psychotherapies.

REGULAR ACTIVIES OF THE Sd'EA

The Sd'EA continuously carries out a wide range of activities in scientific research -either by Sd'EA specialists or employed professionals-, training -seminars and congresses- and also practical workshops addressed to pshychotherapists, health workers, anthropologists, people experienced in modified states of consciousness, teachers and broadly speaking, for anyone interested in living structuring experiences that will improve his/her personal or professional growth.
Regular activities include:

• Workshop on Experiencing the Integration of One's Own Death
• Workshop on Learning to Love and Say Farewell to People and Things.
• Workshop on the Masculine and the Feminine. Developing the Eternal aspect of the Masculine and the Feminine in the XXI'st century.
• Seminar on Music and the Unconscious.
• International Seminar on Modified States of Consciousness, Personal Development and Psychotherapy.
• International Symposium on Entheogens. Held yearly in Barcelona since 1996, attended by more than a hundred speakers from 25 different countries in the past six years.

AWARDS

The Sd'EA bi-annually sponsors an award. The recipient of this year's First Honorific Mention will be worldly-renowned Swiss chemist Doctor Albert Hofmann, whose conference will close this year's V Symposium on Entheogens.

COOPERATION AND AGREEMENTS

Nowadays the Sd'EA has international cooperation agreements on research and teaching with the Andean Institute of Ethnopharmacology (Colombia), the Anthroplogy and Sociological Department of Caldas University (Colombia), the Sinchi Sacha Foundation (Equator), the Centre for Research and Treatment of Addictions of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) the Orenda Institute, Baltimore (Maryland, EEUU), the Eropaeisches Collegium für Bewusstseinsstudien (European College for the Study of Consciousness, Göttingen, Germany) and the Ethnologic Museum of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). One of the Board's aims is to establish new agreements that will enable doctorate students to study and work within the Society..

SUPPORT, FRIENDS AND MEMBERS OF THE SD'EA

The Sd'EA is maintained thanks to the economic contributions made by its members. Candidates applying for membership must satisfy the following conditions:

1. You must be over 18

2. You have to fill in the membership application and send it to the Board together with a written application of no more that 3 pages, explaining the candidate's interest for joining the Society, citing your publications and qualifications -should you have them - relating to the Sd'EA objective.

3. Pay the annual fee depending on which membership category you choose. The candidate must be proposed by at least two members of the society, whose names are required on the form of application. Should you know no one within the Sd'EA, do get in touch with the Administration.

There are four membership categories: full membership, affiliate membership, supporting membership and honorific membership. All members enjoy several advantages in activities and events promoted by the own society (discounts and exclusive activities for members, the society's newsletter with articles, interviews, announcements of Sd'EA activities, topical issues, and more). Members are encouraged to submit material for publication. Also reduced rates are offered for other external activities supported by the Sd'EA.

If you wish to become a member and support our research or collaborate with us, ask for the information papers and membership form.